Man City look to one of the world’s best as their striker hunt steps up

Manchester City’s urgent requirement of a striker could see them make a mega-money move for mercurial Swede, Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Currently plying his trade with French champions Paris Saint-Germain, Ibrahimovic is likely to command the sort of fee that only City, whose latest price to win the Premier League sits at 11/5, could afford to splash on a 31-year-old.

Still, following the departures of Mario Balotelli last season and Carlos Tevez ahead of this, with Edin Dzeko’s future remaining far from certain, the Citizens are facing the prospect of starting the forthcoming campaign with just Sergio Aguero as their only recognised striker.

After two heavy outlays on Fernandinho and Jesus Navas, it is clear the 2011/12 Premier League champions are determined to avoid a second fruitless season on the spin and, assuming that is their intention, medal-hoarding Ibrahimovic’s signing would do nothing to hinder their aim.

The man capped 90 times by his country has won the title with every side he’s played for – aside from Malmo – and an English title win is one of the few gaps on his illustrious CV.

There have been murmurings that Ibrahimovic is looking to depart the French capital and, with the oil-rich Parisians hot in pursuit of Edinson Cavani, they could be willing to offload their talismanic frontman.
A fee around the £20m mark is believed to be enough to convince PSG to sell and, to City, that sort of cash is mere pocket change.

In addition to his undoubted talent, Ibrahimovic’s arrival would herald an upturn in City’s commercial fortunes and the Etihad dressing room is well-accustomed to huge egos. The move seems as though it would suit all parties.

Some questions would need to be answered regarding whether the player could flourish in the Premier League after only really prospering in Italy and France prior to this season. It’s difficult to envisage how a player of such technical prowess and physicality wouldn’t cut it in England’s top flight, though, while the array of talent laying on chances mean he’s never going to be shy of an opportunity in front of goal.

All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date